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Change Nobody Believes In

drapetomaniac

Premium Member
Premium Member
I think that's an opinion piece linked above - not journalism.

I don't know the answer to this - but find the number of people who believe "death panels" are real and how much it has increased in the past many months.

And let me know if I need to re-post the links that show we have ACTUAL death panels in TX since before 2000.
 

Payne

Registered User
I know I am against that bill they passed. I don't believe it will bring Universal Health-care. I think what the bill will do is raise my taxes and make it harder for me and my family to get the needed health care. ObamaCare is a joke and not a funny one.
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
I think that's an opinion piece linked above - not journalism.

I don't know the answer to this - but find the number of people who believe "death panels" are real and how much it has increased in the past many months.

And let me know if I need to re-post the links that show we have ACTUAL death panels in TX since before 2000.

who runs the death panels in texas?
 

ljlinson1206

Premium Member
Premium Member
I think that's an opinion piece linked above - not journalism.

I don't know the answer to this - but find the number of people who believe "death panels" are real and how much it has increased in the past many months.

And let me know if I need to re-post the links that show we have ACTUAL death panels in TX since before 2000.

I would like to see that link myself.
 

Hippie19950

Premium Member
When I worked EMS, we would take patients to the hospital from their home, or a nursing home with various problems, and often they were admitted, and treated for the ailment(s). Some were very serious, and needed hospital care. They would be discharged after the care was complete, and return to the home. We would get a call, to pick them up again, and return to the hospital with them, as the problem had come back. They would be held in the E.R. for hours, and then usually returned to their home, or nursing home, with no further advanced treatment, because Medicare, or Medicaid would not allow it so soon after the first treatment. Many times, the Dr. could sneak them in for a 23 hour observation, but that was it. Now, if they could find some other reason to keep them, they could continue the needed treatment, as well as the "new one". These are both government funded care plans, and headed up by some of the same people YOUR health care will be regulated by. If the patients were taken to another hospital, and admitted, just to try to bypass the last care time, it would be denied by the agency, and the patient or family were then responsible for the care. This is the same thing people are talking about. I don't know if these qualify as Death Panels, but they do set the pace for it. Now, on the other side, there have been so many Doc's and facilities who have robbed the system, they have to be more critical of what goes on, and what is paid. But we ALL suffer. Now, back to my $5.00 Healthcare Plan...(I've made several posts around the web about this) We have around 10 million people in Texas who are employed right now. If each one paid $5.00 a week toward a State healthcare plan, the first week, we have $50,000,000.00. In 6 weeks, we are at about a quarter BILLION dollars.... Right now, the coverage in Congress will not be really available until 2014 for the most part. If we had a moratorium for 1 year on OUR money, we could start off pretty good right here in OUR State. If other States joined in, it would get better. Even if we put up $10.00 a week, it would still work with twice as much seed money, and would not be that much of a burden on each one of us. Even the small employers could afford to chip in $5.-10.00 a week for the employees. This would take care of the individual, as well as their family. Now, before you start fussing and cussing about those lazy slobs who don't work, at $5.00 a week, I DON'T CARE!!!!!!!! We can cover them a lot more cheaply than we are now, or with the New Guv'mint Plan... I spend $5.00 a day on coffee and a soda at lunch, so I'll drink a glass of ice water one day a week.. The reasons this cannot be done, is that no one wants to admit it will work first of all. Second, there will be too many trying to get their hands on OUR money. Third, no one listens. I have been saying, and posting this for almost 4 years now. I can't get a response from any elected official, and the big newspapers do not post it in the comments/editorials. Maybe I am crazy, but some of you finance wizards look at it, and see where it can go....
Hippie
 

TexMass

Registered User
Hippie,
10 million workers at 10$ per worker comes to 100 million dollars a week. Matching funds from employers would make it 200 million a week. Multiply that by 52 weeks and that's 10.4 billion dollars per year. Wow that seems so simple. Employers would have no problem with 10$ per employee a week as opposed to providing a health care plan at hundreds per employee. If that same principle was applied nation wide at 250 million worrkers that would come to...260 billon per year and 1.04 Trillion by 2014. Wow, we could really do this. You officially have my vote!!!!!
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
Hippie,
10 million workers at 10$ per worker comes to 100 million dollars a week. Matching funds from employers would make it 200 million a week. Multiply that by 52 weeks and that's 10.4 billion dollars per year. Wow that seems so simple. Employers would have no problem with 10$ per employee a week as opposed to providing a health care plan at hundreds per employee. If that same principle was applied nation wide at 250 million worrkers that would come to...260 billon per year and 1.04 Trillion by 2014. Wow, we could really do this. You officially have my vote!!!!!

... ?

Almost $1.7 trillion spent on health care in '03

USATODAY.com - Almost $1.7 trillion spent on health care in '03
 

Hippie19950

Premium Member
"Ours" is done without any government taxation, or contribution from them... Now, if the extra money was required to meet any shortcomings, it still would not be as much as we are spending today as for the government part. Is my "plan" perfect?? Nope, but maybe it is headed in the right direction. Sure looks a lot cheaper in the long run, and then we tackle to over pricing that is done to recover the losses by the healthcare providers because some don't pay, or don't have the means, and this cuts the overall cost. Then we hit the drug manufacturers (Ow, that's gonna hurt someplace!!), and get them to be reasonable on their costs, or show significant progress in their search for better drugs or cures. If not, WE THE PEOPLE tell them to get in line, or WE WILL go out of country to buy the same thing they are selling there for less money. They can either put up, or shut up. Of course, right now they have more money than "WE" do, so they can still call the shots, but LOOK OUT!!!
Wait a minute, someone is knocking at my door, looks like some kind of official...
Hippie
 

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
A few weeks ago I applied for Health Insurance through Cigna. Time had passed so I called them up requesting a status update and was told that I would be receiving their decision in the mail. A week later I recived the letter and was shocked that we were denied health insurance because I did not disclose that a member of my family "took prescription medication on a monthly basis". I was puzzled since none of us are on any form of medication, then I realized they were talking about my wifes IUD. The IUD is good for 5 years so it isn't your typical monthly birth control. Good grief, imagine if we had a pre-existing condition? Sorry but health insurance sucks in this country. If you get health insurance through your employer cool beans, but if you're self employed it's VERY expensive and I won't even get into maternity insurance...it's damn near impossible to get.
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
yea, but thinking govt health insurance will be any better is a pipe dream.
 

wwinger

Registered User
...$5.00 Healthcare Plan... We have around 10 million people in Texas who are employed right now. If each one paid $5.00 a week toward a State healthcare plan, the first week, we have $50,000,000.00...
The Texas Hospital Association, which represents only a portion of the hospitals in Texas, says its members employ 350,000 "health care professionals".

If the fifty million per week is used only for compensating these people, thats about $150.00 per week each. Thats less than minimum wage and well below the poverty level.

If we employed only ONE-SEVENTH of these people we could pay them $1000 per week, (not "professional" pay), but there still wouldn't be any hospitals, beds, drugs or equipment to work with.

JTM says that health care cost us 1.7 TRILLION DOLLARS in '03. I doubt if its gotten any cheaper.

'TexMass' doubles the $5.00 plan to $10.00 per week, then matches it with like employer contributions and ends up nationally with $260 billion per year.

I don't think we can cut the cost of health care enough to make it work.

Nice idea though!
 

Hippie19950

Premium Member
Like I said, it can work, but there are too many extra "professionals" standing with their hand out. These funds need to be put into an interest bearing account(s), and a moratorium put in effect for a period of time to allow this to accumalate some extra funds. With what I am reading and hearing now, the "new healthcare" program is not going to be working (if it EVER will) untill 2014 or longer. As for professional pay, I never made anywhere near a grand a week as a Peace Officer, FF, or Paramedic... I still had to attend school, and have certifications, and licenses to work for just a little above minimum wage. Get real with some of the pricing, cut out the excess, and it can work. The meds are apparently way over priced here, if we can buy the same drugs in Canada for less money, with shipping. Some say they are inferior, so if that is the case, the drug companies need to be re-evaluated for doing this to another group of human beings... Like I said, it can be done, but who wants to give up the 3 extra beach house, the apartment in downtown New York, and the 3 week vacations in other parts of the World looking down on others while considering themselves to be God, and many of them (U.S.) don't even believe in God...
Now, as for being jealous, Nope, I'm not. I have everything I want, and most of what I need. I have looked at myself, and my life, and decided what was improtant. I do not live like a pauper, but I don't live like a king either. I don't have to worry about my next meal, or anything else like that. I planned early on, and am comfortable. I even have a 15 year old daughter at home, and am able to support her while maintaining a nice life. I do still work, even though I have a retirement available. My work is considered professional, and I am an "Expert WItness" in several areas when needed in court. But, this all came about by watching to see what I would need later on. I see no reason why others cannot do this especially if they are Medical Professionals, without robbing the people who need the help. No whare do any of us take an oath to make the most money of anyone, but rather to help others in their time of need. Cop, FF, EMS, Mason, or DOCTOR...
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
sorry hippie, but that's just gonna push me closer to wanting to brutally beating government officials/congressmen.
 

Frater Cliff Porter

Premium Member
but if you're self employed it's VERY expensive and I won't even get into maternity insurance...it's damn near impossible to get.

Very true. My wife owns a small business and has for over a decade. She used to purchase her own health insurance, but it got to the point that they wanted 1,200 a month because she was labeled as a "possible child bearer"....like it is a bad condition to have.

My mother is a church secretary for a small Methodist church and puts in 30 hours a week, then 30 hours a week caring for an elderly lady. Neither job pays health care benefits. My mom owns outright a small two bedroom house that is paid off so she has too much in the "asset" column to qualify for government assistance.

So my mom, a tax payer, working two jobs, who owns a home can't get health care in this country.

I am not claiming that the government will help. I am libertarian and believe that the insurance industry should be abolished and we simply negotiate the price of our care with our doctors and allow the markets to drive the price of care in any particular region. Sounds crazy right? Well, in America at one time a doctor would often get paid in crops, preserves, and livestock...whatever the towns folk could give. Everyone knew the doc and he knew them....crazy right?

I am not certain how to repair the system, but when hard working American's can't get care, there is a problem.
 
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